Holy crap, finally, the penultimate chapter of Sorcerer's Stone. It only took me - what - two years to get here? Damn, I'm sorry.
Okay, only one more chapter to go on and we can finally move onto Chamber of Secrets, which is awesome because that means I'm getting closer to the seventh book (stressed panting).
Alright, in all honesty this has been the hardest chapter to write so far, Susanna was just not cooperating. I had six different outlines for what could happen here, and so far I don't have "writers remorse" for the one I picked, but we'll see how long that lasts.
As always, I only claim my OC. I hope you enjoy this update!
The afternoon after their detention, Harry was quick to show Susanna and their friends his returned invisibility cloak. His cousin was happy for all of a minute before she realized he hadn't gone back to the tower to grab it to begin with. That earned Harry a lecture that even Hermione was impressed by.
Still, life at Hogwarts went on as though Voldemort wasn't hiding out in the Forbidden Forest, waiting for Snape to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Susanna adhered to one of her father's favorite phrases, "no news is good news", and figured as long as Voldemort wasn't in the castle trying to murder her cousin, they were safe. As was the Stone.
The exams were both as terrifying and as tedious as Susanna imagined they would be. There was nothing more nerve wracking than being shoved into an overwhelmingly hot classroom, forty Anti-cheating quills scratching at parchment as the first years completed their written exams. The practical ones were slightly more fun. In Charms, Professor Flitwick called each student into his classroom one-by-one, asking them to make a pineapple tap dance across a desk. He seemed particularly amused by Susanna's rendition of "Singin' In the Rain". For Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox. Points were given for how ornate the snuffbox was, but lost if there were any lingering vermin traits. Professor Snape had his students brew the Forgetfulness potion, and Susanna took it as a positive when he only hummed at her cauldron before moving on to breath down someone else's neck.
Susanna spent most of her days worrying about her cousin, the bags under Harry's eyes more pronounced than they'd ever been. Neville told her it was exam nerves, but the mention of her cousin not sleeping had her confronting the bespectacled git. It took some prodding and fussing before he frustratedly admitted to being woken up by nightmares involving the hooded figure dripping silver blood.
Their last exam was for History of Magic. One hour of answering questions pertaining to who invented self-stirring cauldrons later, and the class would be free for a whole week. At least, free to stress about what their exam results would be. Susanna lost sleep worrying about Astronomy, she did not want to be held back or kicked out on account of Jupiter's place in the sky.
"That was easier than I thought it would be." Hermione announced as the four friends left their cheering classmates behind, joining the rest of the school on the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."
"And what an uprising it was." Susanna quipped, laughing as she dodged Hermione's attempt to slap her shoulder. The bushy-haired girl then attempted to lead the others in a review of their answers - as she'd done after the rest of the exams - only for Ron to grumble about it making him ill. Instead, they wandered to the Black Lake and flopped under a tree. Susanna watched the twins and Lee tickle the giant squid as it basked in the warm shallows, frowning.
They at least weren't treating Harry like dirt anymore, but they hadn't apologized, so she hadn't felt the need to join them. She did miss it, though - the twins knew Hogwarts so well, she didn't even need to borrow Harry's invisibility cloak - honestly, she couldn't believe he hadn't gone back for it - when sneaking around with them.
"No more studying." Ron's words cut through her train of thought. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."
"I wish I knew what this means!" Harry shouted, his cousin jumping as he yelled in her ear, though the boy was too busy rubbing his forehead to notice. "My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this."
"Go to Madam Pomfrey." Hermione suggested, Susanna nodding in agreement as she stretched out on the grass.
"I'm not ill." Harry argued. "I think it's a warning… it means danger's coming…"
Ron sighed. "Harry, relax, Hermione's right. The Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."
"It's just… I feel I've forgotten something. Something important."
"So go borrow Neville's Remembrall." Susanna grumbled, finally coming down from her exam-adrenaline as she attempted to take a quick nap in the sun.
Hermione played with the redhead's hair before addressing Harry's concerns. "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one.
Harry suddenly jumped to his feet. Ron grumbled sleepily when he noticed, Susanna blinking blearily up at her cousin as well, while Hermione was taken aback by Harry's sudden burst of energy. "Where're you going?" Ron asked.
"I've just thought of something." Harry muttered as he paled. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."
"Why?" Hermione asked, dragging Susanna up and off the ground as they joined Ron in hurrying after the Boy Who Lived.
"Don't you think it's a bit odd," Harry began questioning as they scrambled up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"
"What are you talking about?" Ron nearly whined, but Harry ignored him in favor of sprinting towards Hagrid's hut. "Your cousin's a nutter."
"I know, but I think he's onto something." Susanna had gone pale the more Harry voiced his concerns, the convenience of it all right in her face now that she wasn't blinded by the drama associated with Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback.
Hagrid was sitting outside his home, trousers and sleeves rolled up as he shelled peas into a large bowl. He smiled at the four Gryffindors. "Hullo. Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"
"Yes, please -" Ron tried, but Susanna and Harry cut him off.
"Not today."
"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid," Harry cleared his throat, "I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"Dunno." Hagrid shrugged, all casual. "He wouldn' take his cloak off." He noticed their stunned expressions and waved the first years off. "It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk at the Hog's Head - that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."
Susanna watched as her cousin crouched beside the bowl of peas. "What did you talk about, Hagrid?" Harry asked. "Did you mention Hogwarts all?"
"Mighta come up." Hagrid murmured, stroking his beard as he slipped into deep thought. "Yeah… he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here. He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I look after, so I told him… an' I said what I'd always really was a dragon… an' then I can't remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks. Let's see… yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted… but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home… So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy."
"And did - he was interested in Fluffy?" Susanna asked, shifting her weight nervously as she tried to remain calm.
"Well, yeah." Hagrid looked almost offended, which would have amused Susanna if it weren't for the sense of doom building inside her. "How many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts. So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -" Hagrid suddenly broke off, staring at the four Gryffindor in terror. "I shouldn'ta told yeh that! Forget I said it! Hey - where're yeh going?"
The quartet stayed silent as they ran back to the castle, only stopping when they reached the entrance hall. "We've got to go to Dumbledore." Harry was quick to tell the others. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it must've been easy, once he'd gotten Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"
"No idea, haven't been sent there yet." Susanna responded. "Right, sorry, not helpful." She smiled apologetically at Harry. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice."
They started searching for his office, but there were no signs to point them in the right direction, and no one inside the castle to tell them where to go.
"What are you four doing inside?" Professor McGonagall's voice suddenly rang out, and they turned to see her approaching, a large stack of books in her arms.
"We want to see Professor Dumbledore." Hermione said bravely, voice unwavering.
"See Professor Dumbledore?" Their Head of House repeated. "Why?" She questioned, eyeing the first years with utmost suspicion.
Beside Susanna, Harry swallowed nervously. The redhead cleared her throat. "It's important, and sort of a secret -"
"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," the woman said coldly, nostrils flaring. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."
"He's gone?" Harry asked frantically. "Now?"
"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time -"
"But this is important."
"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"
Susanna glared at the professor as she dismissed her cousin, but Harry powered on. "Look. Professor, it's about the Philosopher's Stone."
Professor McGonagall's books went tumbling out of her arms, the woman clearly having not expected his response. "How do you know -?" She spluttered, books still at her feet.
"Professor, I think - I mean, we think, we know - that Sn… that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. We've got to talk to Dumbledore."
The transfiguration professor eyed them with shock and suspicion. "Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow." She finally stated. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."
"But Professor -"
"Potter, I know what I'm talking about." Professor McGonagall responded shortly as she bent down to collect her fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."
"No!" Susanna finally snapped. Professor McGonagall's eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Anna -" Hermione tried, but the redhead waved her off.
"No, this is ridiculous! She irresponsibly sent five first year students into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night, she doesn't even think to talk to Hagrid and check if you were telling the truth about Norbert - which they were, of course Hagrid got his hands on a dragon, he has a bloody three-headed dog -"
"Ms. Dursley! You will control yourself!"
"No! My cousin's life is in danger because you won't listen! Voldemort's out there, someone's trying to steal the Stone for him, and you're acting like it's impossible for that to happen even though anything is possible when it comes to magic!" Susanna panted, shoulders heaving with anger.
Professor McGonagall was equally as livid, and she inhaled sharply. "Right. Detention tonight, Ms. Dursley, and twenty points for a lack of decorum. You might not agree with me, but I am your professor, and what I say goes -"
"Yeah, whatever. Let's go enjoy the sunshine, I'm sure nothing's going to happen because you say so!" Susanna stormed off, her cousin and friends quick to follow.
"Anna, you shouldn't have -"
"Don't!" Susanna whirled around, finger pointed at Hermione. "Don't you dare say I shouldn't have told her off! We could've died that night, anything could have happened, and - and something will happen to the thing, we all know it!"
"Suze." Harry whispered, coming closer to his cousin. He hadn't seen her that worked up in a while, not since Dudley nearly killed him that fateful day when everything changed between them. "Breathe."
Susanna rolled her eyes but took a few deep breaths, calming enough that her cheeks were no longer flushed, though her green eyes still shone with slight madness. "Look, we know it's tonight." Guilt ate at Susanna. Now she couldn't help them stop Snape. Bloody McGonagall. "Snape's going through the trapdoor. If Dumbledore's gone, it's because Snape managed to get him out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."
"But what can we -" Hermione gasped, and the other three wheeled around.
Snape stood behind them, towering over the first years. "What would four young Gryffindors such as yourself be doing inside on a day like this?"
"We were -" Harry began, only for Snape to quickly cut him off.
"You want to be more careful. Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something."
"I burn easily. In the sun. Ron, too. Gingers." Snape sneered down at Susanna, though he hadn't deducted any points from Gryffindor yet, so she figured she was safe. "But if you knew a spell that could protect us from skin cancer -"
"Skin cancer?" Ron asked, bemused.
Susanna nodded. "Yes. My mum says it causes all sorts of abrasions and harm to your body. You have to get surgeries and everything!" Susanna paused. "Of course, with magic -"
"Surgery is not necessary, Ms. Dursley." Snape interrupted, glowering at the redheads. Harry grinned at his feet before staring up at Snape with indifference, while Hermione twitched nervously. "I will consider not relieving Gryffindor House of the rest of its points if you leave me in peace."
"Thank you, Professor Snape." Hermione smiled respectfully, receiving an unimpressed glare in return. The brunette simply grabbed the shocked Susanna's hand, the duo leading the boys into the courtyard.
"Did Snape just bribe us?" The red-haired girl murmured as they walked away.
"Just be glad you didn't get yourself another detention." Hermione shot back, earning a poked-out-tongue.
Harry led them out to the stone steps, then turned to his cousin and their friend. "Right, here's what we've got to do." he muttered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape - wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."
"Why me?" The bushy-haired girl asked.
Ron snickered. "It's obvious. You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwitck, you know." He cleared his throat, then mimicked Hermione's voice, "'Oh, Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think i got question fourteen b wrong -"
"Oh, shut up." Hermione scowled at him.
Ron shrugged. "Besides, we can't send Susanna, who knows what trouble her mouth would get her into."
Harry was quick to cover his cousin's mouth, before she could scar the other redhead for life.
While Hermione kept an eye on Snape, the other three Gryffindors went to stay outside the third-floor corridor, hoping to act as extra guards. The plan failed almost immediately, for no sooner had they reached the door keeping Fluffy from the rest of the school did Professor McGonagall show up. She was quicker to lose her temper, already frustrated with Susanna's earlier tirade.
"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" The woman nearly roared. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house, or did I not make that clear enough earlier with Ms. Dursley?" She then turned to the redheaded girl. "You will be reporting to Professor Quirrell's classroom at nine. He is busy grading exams and requires assistance with classroom maintenance. If you're late, I will take another twenty points, do you understand?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall." Susanna smiled fakely before storming off in the direction of Gryffindor tower. Her cousin and Ron were quick to follow, voicing their hope that Hermione had more luck.
As it turned out, she hadn't. No sooner had the other three sat on the couch in their common room did the portrait swing open once more, revealing Hermione. "I'm sorry, Harry!" She practically wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."
"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry asked, blinking back at his cousin and their friends. "I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to get the stone first."
"You're mad!" Ron immediately argued.
"You can't! After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!" Hermione warned.
"SO WHAT?!" Harry shouted back. "Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the House Cup? If I get caught before I can get the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to Privet Drive and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Darkside! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you three say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember? He hunted and killed Muggle-borns. I'll be damned if I let him do that again, I refuse to have him go after Suze or you, Hermione!"
"You're right, Harry." Hermione responded, voice small as they all mulled over Harry's words. Susanna looked particularly moved, eyes streaming with tears.
"I'll use the invisibility cloak. It's just lucky I got it back."
Susanna snorted, wiping her eyes. "Does it cover the three of you?" They turned to the redheaded girl. "I've got detention tonight, remember. But maybe I can convince Quirrell to come forward, provide some proof to McGonagall, if Snape really got information out of him.
"'Three of you'?" Harry then asked, brow furrowed.
Ron smirked. "Like we'd let you go alone?"
"Of course not!" Hermione said briskly. "How do you think you'd get the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful."
"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too." Harry warned his friends.
Hermione shook her head. "Not if I can help it. Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."
"Did he mention what I got?" Susanna asked, earning an amused eye roll from Hermione. "I'll just wait, I guess. If you manage to get the Stone before Snape." Her cousin and their friends glared at her, and she held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry. I have total faith in you.
After dinner, the four Gryffindors sat nervously apart in the common room, most left unbothered by their housemates, who had nothing left to say to Harry and Hermione - and Ron and Susanna, by association. Twenty minutes to nine o'clock, Susanna disappeared into her dorm to change, donning a gray shirt, her overalls, and a pink flannel. She wouldn't risk anything happening to her robes in case she managed to slip out and join the others.
Brown trainers laced and the top of Hades's head kissed, Susanna bounded into the common room once more, hugging her friends and Harry. She held her cousin longer than the other two, and he flicked one of her pigtails. "Don't get into too much trouble."
"Not possible, Freak. Stay safe." She whispered the last two words, sidestepping Fred as he tried to approach her. "Can't chat. Detention with Quirrell." She murmured, exiting Gryffindor Tower. She jogged the rest of the way to the Defense classroom, skidding to a stop when she saw the shakily-written note tacked to the door.
Ms. Dursley,
I've gone to Hogsmeade to meet up with a friend. Mr. Filch will be supervising your detention. I've left detailed instructions on my desk. Please complete each request to the best of your ability.
Professor Quirrell
Susanna huffed, opening the door to find Mr. Filch sitting behind the Defense professor's desk. He smirked at the red-haired girl as he handed her Quirrell's list with a flourish. It was at least two scrolls of parchment long, ranging from scrubbing the bottoms of the desks to taking inventory of what supplies he'd need for the next year.
She got to work, praying that Harry, Hermione, and Ron would stay safe. That their efforts wouldn't be in vain, that they'd come back in one piece.
Nearly an hour later, a loud explosion shook the classroom door. Filch sat up, ears straining like Susanna had seen Mrs. Norris's do, and he waited to see what it was. Another crash could be heard from further away, followed by a laugh.
"Peeves!" Filch roared, limping out of the classroom. He turned to quickly tell Susanna, "stay right where you are!" before hurrying out, shouting after the laughing poltergeist as Peeves led him on what could only be one of his infamous chases.
Susanna was too anxious to listen to the caretaker's demand, wanting to see if her cousin and their friends were still in the common room, waiting for the right moment to set their own plan in motion. In her haste to scrawl a quick note apologizing for her leaving and promising to return to complete her detention the next night, Susanna knocked a set of Quirrell's quills from off their holders. Huffing in annoyance, she knelt down to pick them up.
That's when she noticed it. A small, otherwise insignificant silver dot - if she hadn't seen so much of it in the Forbidden Forest, she would have thought Professor Quirrell had only spilled some more colorful ink. But it was too shiny to not be anything other than unicorn blood.
Unicorn blood. Why would Professor Quirrell -
Susanna's eyes flicked along the floor, seeing the trail now that she knew what to look for. They led to the staircase at the very front of the classroom. She glanced up the steps, eyes on the the tiny silver drops. Mumbling a quick "Finite", the Gryffindor carefully walked up the stairs leading to the Defense professor's private quarters, afraid she'd meet a spell she couldn't counter. Which would be a fair few, as she was only a first year, and Professor Quirrell was their Defense teacher. And Voldemort's potential helper. But how? Why? Did Voldemort threaten him? It's believable. After all, Susanna told herself as she used the Unlocking Charm to open the professor's door, Quirrell jumps at his own shadow -
She coughed as a cloud of smoke burst onto her, and quickly wiped her eyes. Casting another Finite through a bout of coughs, Susanna moved further into his private quarters. It was relatively empty, considering it'd been almost a year. There weren't even any bags out to suggest he'd started packing.
Silver dots in the corner closest to the bare bookcase glittered in the moonlight. "Lumos." Susanna whispered, pointing her wand at the ground. She followed the dots into Quirrell's bedroom, pausing in front of his bedside table. A quick tug proved it to be locked, Alohomora failing to open it. Susanna grunted, then stepped back.
"Anti-Alohomora Charm, eh?" She asked herself out loud. "Fine. There's other ways to open you up." Lips pursed, she smiled as an idea popped in her head. Holding her wand out, she gestured to the table's drawer. "Diffindo." Susanna muttered, and began slicing around the drawer's outline, careful to keep her hand steady. As soon as she cut through the wood, she grabbed the handle and tugged, laughing when it pulled out.
Her cheer faded when she picked up one of the vials rolling around. It was filled to the brim with silver liquid - unicorn blood.
They discovered Voldemort, though. Susanna frowned as she grabbed another, pocketing them. Why would Quirrell keep it for himself?
More questions filled her mind, but it was time for action. Those could be answered later. A quick Reparo fixed Quirrell's drawer, and she hastily ran out of his room, almost forgetting to relock the professor's door. Still covered in the residue from Quirrell's little booby trap - and praying it wasn't toxic - Susanna bolted for the Gryffindor Tower, hoping to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione still inside.
She found Neville instead, the boy laying on the ground face-down, stiff as a board. "Finite!" She cried, and helped roll her friend over as he tearfully recovered. "Nev? What happened?"
"I-I tried to stop them. Har-Harry, Hermione, Ron. He-Hermione used Pe-Petrificus Total-Totalus."
"When was this? Please, it's important." Susanna's grip on his shoulders tightened.
"Twenty minutes ago, I think - where are you going?" Neville nearly shouted after her as she ran back out the common room, left hand wrapping around the vials in her pocket.
She wouldn't make it to them, but she could make it to another professor. She'd make them listen, it was the only way. If they didn't she'd threaten to sue. Yes. Yeah, that's what she'd do. No one wants to get sued, and she had grounds after the detention in the Forbidden Forest.
She rounded the corner, running straight into emerald robes. "Ms. Dursley?" Professor McGonagall gasped at her appearance. "Explain yourself!"
"Professor Quirrell." Susanna took a deep breath, sucking as much air as she could into her lungs. "It's Professor Quirrell, not Snape."
"Have you not had enough excitement for one day?" Professor McGonagall responded, tone clipped and dismissive.
Susanna growled and forced the vials into the woman's hand. "That's unicorn blood. I found it in Quirrell's office. Voldemort's who Harry and I saw drinking from the unicorn. You can ask Firenze the centaur, he'd confirm it. My cousin and my friends think it's Snape, and they've gone to get the Stone back because you weren't listening. They're in danger, and I have no idea why Quirrell's the one keeping the blood, but it can't be for anything good!"
Professor McGonagall blinked down at her. "Ms. Dursley -"
"What are you shouting about, girl?" Professor Snape drawled from behind Susanna, and she twisted sharply to face him. The man sneered down at her as she snatched vials back from the stunned Transfiguration professor. "Have you no respect for your teachers? You're nearly as insufferable as your mot-what are you doing?" He frowned at her in confusion as the redhead shoved the vials into his chest.
"I found those in Quirrell's office. Unicorn blood. I'm sure a Potions Master has at least seen it, even if you're not allowed to use it." Susanna stared up at him, green eyes pleading for at least one of the adults to actually listen to her. "Please, sir. You've been tailing Quirrell all year, I know you have, it's probably best if you don't ask how I do, but it doesn't matter. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in danger, especially if Quirrell is working for Voldemort."
"You dare speak his name?" Professor Snape snarled.
"He's not history's only monster." Susanna coolly reminded the Potions professor, turning to address Professor McGonagall as well. "If Harry is able to say it, and that arse killed his parents, I'm brave enough to say it, too."
Professor Snape regarded her for a moment, then nodded over her shoulder at his fellow teacher. "She's right. Her cousin and friends are indeed in danger. Dumbledore must return poste haste -"
"Aye, I'll send a message right now. Ms. Dursley," Susanna glanced back at Professor McGonagall, "I am truly sorry. Thirty points to Gryffindor, for proving me wrong."
As the Transfiguration professor disappeared, Susanna attempted to sidestep Professor Snape. "And where do you think you're going, Ms. Dursley?"
"To save my cousin. I'm plenty smart, I can figure it out!" She argued. But as she tried to take another step, she found her foot had been glued to the floor. She attempted to move the other one, but was met with the same fate.
"I apologize, Ms. Dursley. I cannot in good faith send you after your foolish friends. Dumbledore will arrive soon to save them. You have done all you can for them." Professor Snape sneered down at her, but Susanna only glared back.
"You knew he'd go after the Stone tonight. Why didn't you stop him?"
Professor Snape hummed at her angrily-asked question. "I did not have the proof I needed. And I have the utmost faith that he will not succeed. Even if he gets past the other enchantments, he will not be able to defeat Dumbledore's. Ms. Dursley," his tone suddenly became almost reassuring, "Mr. Potter will not be harmed by Quirrell."
"You can't promise that. And you can't protect him, not like I can."
"My counter-curses kept him on his broomstick."
"Counter-" Susanna nodded. "Right, it was Quirrell. He jinxed Harry's broom."
"My robes caught fire, though. Thank goodness they provided enough of a distraction for Quirrell, or Mr. Potter would have fallen."
"I'd have caught him."
"You were far too busy setting my robes aflame to save him, though, weren't you?" Susanna winced, flinching back when she saw how calm the Potions Master was, despite his accusation. It was completely unnerving. "Your tenacity is admirable, but foolish."
Before she could respond, footsteps could be heard rapidly approaching. Susanna shifted her weight, stumbling when she realized she was able to move again. She wrung her wrists as Professor McGonagall led the Headmaster to the little soot-covered sleuth. A wave of her wand later, and the Transfiguration professor had cleared Susanna's face and clothes of the residue.
"So, Professor Quirrell is the one aiding Voldemort." Professor Dumbledore mumbled with tranquility. "Alas, wonders never cease. Come, we must hurry, Susanna."
"But, Albus -" Professor McGonagall started, but the old man only gently waved her off. To Susanna's surprise, the woman didn't appear offended.
"She will be safe with me." The old wizard promised before whisking Susanna away, the girl hoping they weren't too late.
Before anyone comes at me about Susanna yelling at Professor McGonagall, I fully support her. There's nothing more frustrating than adults dismissing what kids are saying simply because they're younger. Also, why did McGonagall never ask Hagrid about the dragon? And why would she okay sending students - first years, at that - into the Forbidden Forest, where there was no way to actually guarantee their safety, even with Hagrid supervising? Even though Dumbledore clearly states no student should be venturing inside? Knowing there was something killing unicorns?
And alright, a strong argument can be made that it was Dumbledore who sent them into the Forbidden Forest to discover who was after the Philosopher's Stone, and maybe that might come up in the next chapter, but for now Susanna doesn't know that. And honestly, that also doesn't matter in the end - it's still child endangerment.